Construction of buildings



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. ODONNELL.

CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS.

No. 405,794. Patented June 25, 1889.

(No Model.)

2 Sheetsr-Sh'eet 2. J. ODONNELL. CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS.

,794. Patented June- 25, 1889.

N. PETERS. Phnm'Lilhagmphcr. Washmglo", D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ODONNELL, OF LOVVVILLE, NEW' YORK.

CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 405,794, dated June 25,1889.

Application filed December 20, 1888- serial No. 294,192. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN ODONNELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowville, in the county of Lewis and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction ofBuildin gs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification,

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in theconstruction of the walls of any kind of buildings; but it has moreparticular reference to the construction of the outer walls of thatclass of frame buildings which are commonly designated balloon frames.

The object of the invention is, primarily, to provide the walls of thebuilding with a series of air-tight compartments or d'ead-air cells, soconstructed and arranged as to render the interior of the building moreuniform in temperature during the extremes of heat and cold, and torender the air within the building drier during damp and rainy seasons.Moreoveigin case of conflagrations the spread of the fire will be muchless rapid in buildings constructed in accordance with my invention thanin frame or other buildings heretofore constructed in which continuousopen spaces have been left between the studs.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain, the sameconsists in the peculiar combinations and in the novel construction,arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafterdescribed, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specificallydefined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which.

Figure 1 represents in side elevation a por-' as broken away, in orderto better illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the sheets of paperused, showing the manner in which the same is folded. Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail showing the manner of securing the paper. Fig. 5 is asection taken at right angles to Fig. 2.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Arepresents the ordinary outer walls of a balloon-frame buildingconstructed in accordance with my invention.

B B are the studs, and C the flooring of the building.

Beginning at the floor, I first nail securely between the adjoiningstuds a strip of wood D of any desired thickness and of a widthpreferably equal to one-half the width of the studs. This strip fitstightly against the outer wall, so as to exclude drafts of air. I nextat suitable intervals, preferably of from two to four feet, fasten in asimilar manner like strips of wood D D 850., until I reach the top ofthe room or of the studding, as the case may be. After the stripsdescribed have been secured in place, strips of heavy building paper orequivalent material E are provided, preferably of a length sufficient toextend from one cross-piece to another, and about two inches wider thanthe intervening space between the studs, the extra paper along the edgesof the strip being bent at right angles to the direction of the strip,thus forming the flanges E which are clearly shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings. These strips of paper are secured to the cross-stripsD byother similar cross-strips cl, placed above the paper and directly overthe strips 1), and of su'fiieient width to come out flush with the outerface of the studs. These strips are securely pressed down upon thepaper, and are secured in position by tacks or nails driven through theouter edge of the strips into the studs.

It will be seen that when thus secured the nails will not pass throughthe paper. In

from the angle, a strip of wood 2, about the size of a common lath andof sufficientlength to fit closely between the cross-pieces. At theupper and also at the lower end of the space between the studs the paperis provided with flanges similar in all respects to the flanges upon thesides, and the entire paper partition is rendered as nearly as possibleair-tight.

The object in placing the cross-strips and the strips of wood over thepaper, as described, is to provide a means for the paper to give, incase of warping of the studs to which it is attached, instead oftearing, as would otherwise be the case, and to provide for expansionand contraction, as well as to form the air cells.

The paper partition described having been secured in place, a series ofpractically airtight cells is provided behind the partition, whichextend from the base to the top of the building and fill one-half of thespace intervening between the coping and the inner face of the studding.

When other material than papersucl1 as lath and plaster E is used forthe inner partition, a second series of cross-strips D D is preferablyso placed as to alternate with the strips D D D beneath the partition,and 'upon the outer faces of these strips are secured the lath formingthe inner face of the wall to which the plaster or other material isapplied.

It will be readily understood that the construction which I havedescribed is subject to certain modifications without departing from thespirit of the invention-as, for instance, the covering of the firstseries of strips D D D may be of lath and plastering E or any othersuitable material instead of paper, as an eifectual and air-tightpartition between the adjoining series of cells is what is required. Nordo I desire to be understood as at once evident that the usefulness ofthe cells would be increased in proportion to the increase in number.

While I have described the invention as applied to the outer walls of abuilding it is equally well adapted to inside partitions and to floors.

I deem it important that twoseries of strips alternate, as shown,whereby greater strength is obtained and greater safety is provided incase of fire.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim to be new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. In a wall for a building, the combination, with the outer wall A, thestuds, and a series of strips between the studs, of a layer of paperbetween each two strips and a second series of strips and paperalternating with said strips, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. A wall for a frame building, composed of an outer and an inner walland studs, crosspieces between the studs, fitting close to the inside ofthe outer wall, thereby making an air-tight joint, alternatingcross-pieces fitting closely with the inside face of the plaster orother material of the inside wall, thereby making an air tight joint,paper having flanges, as shown, and strips of wood for hold:

ing said paper nailed to the studs, said strips being placed aboutone-fourth of an inch (more or less) from the inner corner of the angleof the paper or other equivalent material used, said fianged materialand strips forming an air-right joint between'the cross pieces andmaking complete dead-air cells, and giving the paper or other materialused free play between the edges of the crosspieces, thereby providingfor the expansion or contraction of the material used or of theshrinkage of the studs.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ODONNELL. Witnesses:

W. J. W001), E. G. ODONNELL.

